Again, word choices: plucky?

[JediHamlet 94]

Page six of the beta, under "Last Lights In The Darkness", last sentence.

Can we get a better adjective than "plucky". Maybe "gifted", or "blessed", or something that doesn't destroy my suspension of disbelief at the final phrase.

I was completely enthralled by the prose until I came across that word. Destroyed the moment.

Edited October 11, 2014 by JediHamlet

[Robin Graves 6,054]

Luke: "I got him!"

Han: "Great, kid, now don't get plucky!"

[Split Light 672]

[borithan 237]

Not sure what the issue is with plucky... seems to suit the Star Wars characters, and the Rebellion in general, quite well.

[awayputurwpn 7,715]

Page six of the beta, under "Last Lights In The Darkness", last sentence.

Can we get a better adjective than "plucky". Maybe "gifted", or "blessed", or something that doesn't destroy my suspension of disbelief at the final phrase.

I was completely enthralled by the prose until I came across that word. Destroyed the moment.

I totally agree. R2 is "plucky." Luke Skywalker is many of the following synonyms: brave, courageous, bold, daring, fearless, intrepid, spirited, valiant, valorous, stouthearted, dauntless, resolute, determined, undaunted, unflinching, audacious, unafraid. Any of these would be a hundred times better than "plucky."

[borithan 237]

Plucky: adjective, "having or showing determined courage in the face of difficulties."

 

I still don't get the problem with the word. I don't know if this is a perception difference (certain people seeing it as almost derogatory or something) or something, but I think this is totally I would think of Star Wars characters. I think it fits better than a lot of the other synonyms myself (I might use brave, bold, or spirited, but all the others don't quite give the feel of Star Wars to me).

[Donovan Morningfire 10,187]

Plucky: adjective, "having or showing determined courage in the face of difficulties."

 

I still don't get the problem with the word. I don't know if this is a perception difference (certain people seeing it as almost derogatory or something) or something, but I think this is totally I would think of Star Wars characters. I think it fits better than a lot of the other synonyms myself (I might use brave, bold, or spirited, but all the others don't quite give the feel of Star Wars to me).

It's probably just the OP splitting hairs on word usage.

[Robin Graves 6,054]

 

Luke: "DO I LOOK "PLUCKY" TO YOU? WELL? DO I?!!!"

[awayputurwpn 7,715]

Plucky: adjective, "having or showing determined courage in the face of difficulties."

 

I still don't get the problem with the word. I don't know if this is a perception difference (certain people seeing it as almost derogatory or something) or something, but I think this is totally I would think of Star Wars characters. I think it fits better than a lot of the other synonyms myself (I might use brave, bold, or spirited, but all the others don't quite give the feel of Star Wars to me).

It's probably just the OP splitting hairs on word usage.

Surely you can both understand the difference between a word's lexical meaning and a word's connotation. Connotation can really make, or break, a sentence. Reading a paragraph about legendary powers, few brave individuals, and powers to save the Galaxy, we come across the oddball word "plucky." This is not hair-splitting. This is linguistics.

"Plucky" is to "brave" as "scrappy" is to "determined," or as "spunky" is to "bold."

Boba Fett is determined. Mission Vao is scrappy.

Luke Skywalker is brave. R2-D2 is plucky.

Anakin Skywalker is bold. Ahsoka Tano, at least in the first few seasons of TCW, is spunky.

There are certain words that just have a "cutesy" connotation. And if that's what the author was going for, then that's one thing...I find myself agreeing with the OP, though, in that it just seems very out-of-place.

[borithan 237]

Luke, as presented in A New Hope, is exactly how I envision "plucky". Ok, yeah by the Return of the Jedi it might not fit, but by then he is 1) more experienced, and 2) down a path towards darkness (which he then pulls out of shortly before he might fall). In a New Hope he is a bright eyed young man (barely even that), full of optimism.

 

A barely adult farmboy pilot who jumps into a military fighter and sees off a mighty empire? Totally plucky.